


I Don't Like Him Like That

by wongsdong69



Category: Kpop - Fandom, NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Aromantic, Kunten, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wongsdong69/pseuds/wongsdong69
Summary: Jungwoo likes Lucas, a lot. Lucas likes Jungwoo as a friend. Jungwoo tries to figure out the boy who is also trying to figure himself out.(sorry for the awful description, this is my first fic)THIS FIC HAS BEEN DISCONTINUEDI lost all motivation for it, I'm really sorry :((
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten & Qian Kun, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Mark Lee/ Lee Donghyuck
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Jungwoo dropped onto his bed and groaned in annoyance. God really did hate him. 

It all started a few months prior at Yuta's New Years Eve party. He had gone with Sicheng just to drink a bit and have some fun but his intentions changed when he met a tall, erratic boy named Lucas. Lucas made him laugh so hard he was genuinely worried he would shit in his pants. 

After that he interrogated everyone in his close friend group to learn more about Lucas. He found out that his real name was Wong Yukhei, he practically lived at the gym, and was deathly afraid of frogs. Not much to go off of, and yet he was still able to find Lucas on instagram and pinpoint the gym he went to.

"First and last name please?"

"Jungwoo Kim." He scanned the floor, filled with all sorts of machinery for getting into shape. Sicheng scoffed when Jungwoo had excitedly told him he had bought a gym membership, waving his arms animatedly in the air.

"Dude. I can't remember the last time I've seen you at least jog."

Jungwoo sucked in a breath as his eyes landed on Lucas' large figure. Damn he looked good in that tank. His tan muscles shimmering with sweat. He slid his new membership card off the counter, giving the employee a sweet smile before strutting over to where Lucas was stretching. 

"Hey, Lucas! Funny seein-" He stopped when Lucas gave no reaction, not even bothering to turn and look at him. He straightened his back, obviously done with his warm ups, and Jungwoo bit his lip, reaching forward to grab his shoulder. 

Lucas lost his shit. He let out a rather loud yell and jumped nearly 3 feet off the ground. He turned and stared at Jungwoo with wide eyes, pulling his knock off airpods from his ears.

"Good God, man… Can I help you or something?" Jungwoo's smile dropped. Everyone was staring at the two now, concerned and curious about the interaction. Jungwoo merely smiled again, trying to be cutesy to ignore the awkwardness of the situation. 

"Its me, Jungwoo." Lucas' face was blank. He didn't remember Jungwoo. Jungwoo forced himself to keep smiling. "You know, from Yuta's party? I was the one who ate three whole bags of pizza rolls…" He trailed off. 

Lucas furrowed his brows and looked up to the metallic beams that hung across the ceiling as if they were about to enlighten him. Oooo word play His face went blank again and he looked back at Jungwoo, realization setting in.

"Oh I do remember you! I'm surprised you didn't die after you ate as much as you did. I respect that, you're cool." Before Jungwoo could open his mouth, Lucas spoke again. "Why are you here? I've never seen you here. Do you like exercising or-" Jungwoo cut him off by placing his hand on Lucas' chest. His pecs were really firm, wow. 

"I've never really been that active but most of my friends tell me that I should start working out ahaha." Lucas nodded. "Well you came to the right person because I happen to come here everyday. Let's get you on a path to being your best fit self!" His voice was extremely loud and Jungwoo cringed.

An hour after strenuous exercise, they parted ways at the entrance. "That was awesome, man! I'm proud. We should do this more often." Jungwoo nodded, still slightly panting from earlier. "Yeah, sure." Lucas pulled his phone out of his pocket, handing it to Jungwoo with the contacts app open. 

"So we can figure out when to do this again. I don't think you're ready to work out everyday yet." Jungwoo nodded, typing in his number and stumbling to his car. "Bye Jungwoo!!!"

Sicheng snorted at Jungwoo, who was limping and whining all throughout the next day. "Everything hurts, I'm not even exaggerating." He complained. 

"Now tell the truth, was it worth it?" Sicheng smirked at him. Jungwoos eyes lit up and grew like saucers and he clasped his hands over his chest.

"Oh Sichengie, he's like, he's like a human puppy!" Sicheng rolled his eyes. "Mhm." Jungwoo shoved a fried dumpling into his mouth and continued on, Sicheng grimacing at his full cheeks. "He showed me how to use all the machines without hurting myself! Oh, and guess what! I stumbled on the stair machine and he grabbed my waist to steady me!" He looked over Sicheng's head dreamily.

"God, his hands are big. I bet-" 

"Okay that's enough!'

After parting ways with Sicheng, he made his way to his small apartment. He raised his arms, stretching his limbs, patting his tummy contentedly and plopped onto the couch. He took out his phone, opening instagram and searching 'wongsdong69'. He bit his lip, seeing the glowing ring around his profile picture, signifying that he had posted on his story.

He gasped. There, on his screen was a video of Lucas with a female who was tucked under his arm, coyly hiding her face in his chest and giggling. He should've known.


	2. its not gay to kiss ur bro goodnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is longer, there may be some errors but i hope yall enjoy!

Jaehyun covered his ears, thankful Jungwoo couldn't see him.

"I HAVE A CRUSH ON A STRAIGHT GUY, JAEHYUN. IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD." Jungwoo wailed. "Well you-" Jungwoo cut him off. "You know, I really thought I had a solid chance with him, I saw Luwoo happening." Jaehyun cackled, "Luwoo, really? You've only seen him twice and you're already whipped."

Jaehyun continued, "Anyways, you didn't let me finish. According to his best friend, Mark, Lucas had a boyfriend in highschool or something. The girl on his story is Mina. She's been making moves on Lucas for months with no luck. You may actually still have a chance with him."

Jungwoo worried his lip. "Maybe he likes girls too… They looked really close." Jaehyun sighed. "I doubt it. Maybe talk to Mark, and figure out ways to woo him." Jungwoo nodded, to himself really and took a deep breath. "Alright, I will. Thanks Jaehyun." "Of course." 

Jungwoo hung up and slid off the couch to the floor, making a loud 'thunk' as he did so. He stared at ceiling for a few minutes before picking himself up and slinking away to the comfort of his bed. 

The next morning he slept in, mindlessly turning off his alarm and falling back asleep. It was only two and a half hours later, when he launched himself out of bed, scrambling to put on his uniform.

"Shit shit shit shit shit!!! He's gonna kill me, oh my God." He slammed his front door shut, combing his fingers through his hair as he sprinted down the hallway and outside.

He ran three whole blocks to the small cafe, only stopping once he was inside. He took deep breaths, steadying himself and trying to make himself look less… bad. He paid no attention to the customers giving him weird looks, and waltzed to the back of the cafe to sneak into the kitchen. 

He silently shut the door behind him, praying the short man chopping veggies at the counter opposite of him wouldn't turn around to see him. After a few seconds, he relaxed his body and turned to go to the sink.

"You're late again." He froze. He turned his head to look at Ten, his boss, who was now leaning against the counter, one hand on his hip, the other holding a large knife. Jungwoo swallowed and gave him a small smile. 

"I know, and I'm very sorry. I really-" Ten spoke over him, looking at the knife in his hand. "You know, Kun is really helping you out." He looked back at Jungwoo. "He's teaching you very valuable culinary skills and employing you. And this is how you repay him." Jungwoo nodded and frowned. Ten spoke again, “To be honest, you’re damn good at eating, but shit at cooking. If I was in charge, I’d have fired your ass by now.”

An audible slap could be heard, and Ten yelped. Kun stood behind him, with an annoyed look on his face. “Hey, I don’t pay you to stand there and degrade my students. Get chopping.” Kun chuckled at his own pun and Ten glared at him rubbing his butt. “I’m reporting you for assault.” He grumbled and turned around to finish up with the vegetables. Kun ignored him to look at Jungwoo. “C’mon, we have a lot to do.” 

Jungwoo spent the afternoon learning how to make choux dough. It wasn’t very fun and he couldn’t understand why they had to cook the dough before actually baking it. He had trouble with the piping bag, accidentally making giant globs of dough instead of the perfect little mounds that Kun showed him. It didn’t help that he could feel Ten’s disapproving gaze boring into his back either. 

Once they closed at four, Ten cleaned his station at sonic speed, leaving Kun with a kiss and promises of gifts for their anniversary. Jungwoo smiled as he watched them, thinking of Lucas. He wanted to kiss him and buy him gifts. He thought of sharing their nonexistent anniversary together, going to a high class restaurant and drinking red wine. He stayed quiet as he washed dishes, Kun standing next to him to dry them. The other two employees left and Kun gently nudged Jungwoo’s arm. 

“What’s on your mind?” Jungwoo glanced at him and shook his head with a smile. “Why is Ten such an asshole? Especially to me.” He added. Kun chuckled, Wiping down a plate. “I think he’s just pissed that he’s not getting as much attention as you.” Jungwoo raised an eyebrow and looked at Kun, prodding him on. Kun cleared his throat. “He’s impatient and he doesn’t seem to think you’ve improved at all in your time being here. But I think you’re very helpful and I can see your progress!” He smiled fondly at Jungwoo who handed him the last dish. “Thank you, I thought I was hopeless.” Kun nodded at him. “ Hey, do you mind if I take my batch of the pate a choux home?” Kun answered by handing him a small box with the cafe’s logo on it. “Already got you covered.” Jungwoo thanked him again and left. 

Jungwoo texted Lucas as he walked back to his apartment. ‘Hey are you busy tonight?’ Lucas responded rather quickly. ‘No, whats up? Ready to hit the gym again already?’ Jungwoo giggled to himself, clutching the pastry box closer to his body. ‘Pfft, no. I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee or something? That’d be a good opportunity to go over our schedules.’ 

‘Sounds great, how about Scotty’s in an hour?’ Jungwoo clicked the link attached and figured an hour was enough time to get home to change and still make it there early.

When he arrived at the coffee shop he looked around for Lucas who wasn’t there yet. He ordered the biggest sized mocha frappuccino they had and a small variety of pastries. He sat himself in a small booth and rested his arms on the table, dropping his head on them and momentarily dozed off. He was abruptly awoken when he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder. Lucas grinned brightly at him and Jungwoo couldn’t help but smile back. 

Lucas laughed loudly. “Didn’t realize I wore you out that much. Maybe we shouldn’t keep going to the gym together.” Jungwoo chuckled, “No it’s okay, I just accidentally slept in and that usually makes me feel exhausted for the rest of the day. Lucas smiled in understanding. Jungwoo broke the silence by sliding the box of pate a choux puffs to Lucas. “Here, for you.” He smiled warmly and batted his eyelashes at Lucas who was completely enamoured with the box. “Hey, I love this place! One of my best friends works there!” He cheered excitedly. Jungwoo furrowed his eyebrows. “Really? Who?” Lucas bobbed his head to the lofi beats flowing from the speakers and shoved a puff in his mouth. “Name’s Ten, half owns the place with his fiance.” His voice was extremely muffled.

“Kun proposed?!” Jungwoo exclaimed, confused. Now Lucas looked confused. “You know Kun?” Jungwoo nodded quickly, “Yeah, I work there. I thought they would’ve had a big announcement if they’d gotten engaged.” Lucas nodded, “Ten said he was gonna do it this morning, maybe he’s just waiting for tonight?” Jungwoo nodded. Ten was proposing? Odd. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you want something to drink?” Lucas tried to stop Jungwoo by not telling him what he wanted, but Jungwoo just scrolled through his instagram profile to see what drinks he usually had. This resulted in Lucas pouting and Jungwoo couldn’t hold himself back from pinching his cheek which made Lucas giggle. Jungwoo squealed.

They ended up talking all night, taking to the streets when they were kicked out of the coffee shop. Jungwoo learned that he worked at the gym, was a part time model (not surprising), loved the color pink, and owned two cats. They made plans to watch the spider man 2, frozen, and shrek together and Lucas even walked him home. They stood in front of Jungwoo’s apartment building for a bit, just giving eachother goofy smiles. Lucas suddenly looked unsure, leaning forward to hug Jungwoo and lightly kiss his cheek. 

Jungwoo was ecstatic. So Lucas did like him! He was about to kiss Lucas back on the lips but stopped when Lucas began to speak. “I’m sorry if that was weird or made you at all uncomfortable…” He trailed off. “A lot of my friends think its weird.” Jungwoo’s heart sank, though he didn’t let his smile falter. “Oh…” He laughed awkwardly. “It’s fine, I don’t mind.” Lucas grinned at him. “Awesome! I had a lot of fun tonight, thanks for the drink. And the treats.” He shook the box in his hand. “Mhm! Of course. Have a good night, Lucas.” He didn’t wait for Lucas’ response and speed walked into the building. It wasn’t until he was in his apartment that he let a tear slide down his cheek.

Jungwoo dropped onto his bed and groaned in annoyance. God really did hate him


	3. keep the change, babe ;))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter turned into a whole lot of kunten,, im sorry im a slut for kunten smh. enjoy~

"Shit man, maybe I did make him uncomfortable." Lucas worried, jogging next to his friend. He turned left down the sidewalk and Mark followed him. "So what? You said sorry. Don't worry about it." Lucas bit his lip in thought. "But I can't stop worrying about it, Jungwoo is really cool." Mark smirked at him before looking back at the path, quickly dodging a cyclist. "You like him, don't you?" Lucas huffed, "Yes I like him, I invited him to watch frozen with me, of course I like him." Mark rolled his eyes. 

"No, not that kind of like. You have a crush on him." 

Lucas stopped running, grabbing Marks wrist to stop him. "Woah woah woah. I do not like him like that." Mark snickered. "Damn, ouch." Lucas frowned and began walking. "He's cute but. I just wanna be friends." 

"You are friends." Mark said dryly. "You know what I mean." Mark side eyed him. "When was the last time you had a crush on anyone?" Lucas stopped again, pondering over the question.   
"Senior year in highschool?" He sounded uncertain.

Mark chuckled, "I think it's time you lowered your standards, bud."

Jungwoo had made it to work on time, luckily. Kun had greeted him with a big smile and told him to work at the counter for the day. Jungwoo was currently making a 'venti dairy free, soy free, choco ultra cookie crunch frappe'. Though it was literally impossible to make the drink dairy free, Jungwoo didn't need to tell the customer that. 

Nearby, Ten was restocking the pastry display case, a gloomy aura surrounding him. "Hey, Ten." Jungwoo called quietly. Ten snapped his head up to look at him, a frown set on his face. "What do you need, Woo?" Jungwoo handed the drink to the customer with an exaggerated smile before turning back to Ten. "You were gonna propose yesterday? What happened?" He whispered. Ten raised an eyebrow. "What? How did you know that?" Jungwoo rolled his eyes. "Lucas told me. So why did you flake out?" Ten crossed his arms and looked away.

"I didn't flake out. I made pancakes and put the ring on some whipped cream. The ring sank down, and when I realized it, it was too late. He ate the whole fucking ring." 

Jungwoo really tried not to laugh, but when Kun busted down the kitchen door, red faced and yelling at Ten, asking why he thought letting him shit out the engagement ring was a good idea, he lost it. And when Lucas walked into the cafe, it was easy to see why he was confused. Jungwoo was doubled over, giggling so hard he was crying, Ten and Kun were screaming at eachother, and the customers looked extremely uncomfortable. 

They got a lot of two star yelp reviews that day.

After their fighting ended, Ten took a deep breath and got down on one knee. "Kun, you are truly one of the best things that has ever happened to me, you keep me grounded, you put me in my place when needed, and you've stopped me many times from murdering people." Kun's face softened, a large grin gracing his face.

Ten grabbed Kun's hand, now standing to come face to face with Kun. "I love you and I love our life together. I want this forever. Even the relentless fighting. Marry me?" Kun nodded, pulling Ten to kiss him. "Of course. As long as you buy me a new ring." Ten snorted and shook his head. 

Jungwoo's attention was whipped away from the couple when he felt a tap on his arm. Lucas excitedly waved his phone in his hand. "Look, I got it on video!" Jungwoo smiled at him, looking back to Ten and Kun who were walking hand in hand to the kitchen.

He turned to Lucas. "How may I help you, sir?" He smiled, although he was still a little hurt from the night before, he couldn't blame Lucas. It wasn't his fault that Jungwoo had caught feelings for him. 

Lucas craned his neck to look at the pastry display. "Ah, my best friend is getting a promotion and it's a really big deal to him. I wanted to get him something to celebrate." Jungwoo nodded and tapped his chin. "Honestly my favorites here are the roll cakes and the creme brulee tarts. Do you have a few minutes?" 

"Yeah?" Jungwoo motioned for Lucas to sit down at the coffee bar, and started cutting slices of sweets to set in front of him. "I uh-" Lucas stuttered and Jungwoo shook a finger at him. "Shh, I got it covered. Just try them and see what you think is best." 

Lucas laughed, "I'm going to be in some major debt if you keep buying me food." Jungwoo chuckled, "You don't need to pay me back, being friends is enough for me." Lucas gave him a painfully soft look, and Jungwoo turned to busy himself with wiping down the counter. God Lucas was cute. 

Lucas spoke up, mouth full with strawberry cake, "Hey, you should come with me tonight, to celebrate with Mark, y'know." Jungwoo looked back at him and shrugged. "I don't want to butt in though, that might be awkward." Lucas shook his head vigorously. "No, it's okay! I want you to meet him and honestly…" He looked around the cafe slyly. "He invited his roommate who he's practically dating, and I don't want to be third wheeling all night." 

Jungwoo snickered, "Fine, I'll go for your sake." Lucas grinned and stood, checking his phone. "I gotta go, please bring a chocolate roll cake." He slapped a fifty dollar bill on the counter and winked. "Keep the change, babe. Picking you up at seven!" Jungwoo gaped at Lucas as he sauntered out of the building.

Jungwoo spent the rest of the day, wiping down counters, doing dishes, and taking orders. How fun. Ten and Kun shooed him and the rest of the employees off early, which gave Jungwoo roughly three hours to clean himself up. He of course called Sicheng over to help him out. 

Sicheng was unamused. "Okay so like, he kisses his other homies?" He questioned from where he sat on the couch. Jungwoo strode out to the small living room turning in circles to show off his outfit. "Yeah, he said exactly 'a lot of my friends think its weird' which implies that he kisses a lot of his friends!" Sicheng shook his head at the outfit with distaste. "Too dressy. Easy then, he just thinks of you as a friend? What's so confusing about that?" Jungwoos voice got quieter as he walked to his room, "Today, he gave me a big ass tip and called me babe." He stepped out in front of Sicheng again. "He called me babe!" Sicheng sighed, "Maybe, Jungwoo…" He stood up, grabbing his phone off the coffee table. "Maybe that's just him. His personality." He patted Jungwoo on the head and walked to the front door.

"That outfit's cute. I have to go now, good luck though. You really need it." And with that, he was gone.


	4. big mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's kinda short but i like it. enjoy~

Jungwoo stood outside his apartment. It was eight-twenty and Lucas still hadn’t shown up. He turned around to go back inside when a loud horn blared, making him jump. Lucas was pulled up to the curb, one leg standing to prop up a large motorcycle. Jungwoo shuddered, biting his lip and walking tentatively to him. “I thought you were going to pick me up in a car.” Lucas shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin. “Same difference. C’mere.” He took the helmet he was holding under his arm and shimmied it down onto Jungwoo’s head. “You can put the cake in that little compartment.” Jungwoo gently placed the box in, pushing the small door closed to secure it. He helped him get onto the bike and placed his smaller hands on his hips. “Hold tight, baby.” 

Jungwoo huffed quietly, glad the helmet masked his pink cheeks. Lucas pulled his leg up, and sped out onto the road. Jungwoo was terrified and was probably giving Lucas bruises from how hard he was holding onto him. After ten hellish minutes, Lucas parallel parked and hopped off his bike. He helped Jungwoo down, holding his shaky hand to steady him as he swung his leg over the seat. He took the helmet off of the older boy and pulled the cake out. He looked down at Jungwoo watching him fix his hair.

Jungwoo looked up at him and smiled curiously. “What is it?” Lucas laughed and focused on something past Jungwoo’s head. “Nothing, you look nice tonight.” Jungwoo couldn’t stop the large grin that spread across his face. Gaining confidence, he reached out to grab Lucas’ hand and pulled him into the bustling restaurant. Lucas pointed to a booth occupied by two men sitting across from each other. “There they are.” Lucas slid into the seat next to Mark (Jungwoo recognized him from Instagram) and Jungwoo took his spot next to who he assumed was Mark’s roommate. 

“Lucas, my man.” Mark said rather loudly, “I can always count on you to be late.” He looked at Jungwoo. “I’m guessing this is the famous Jungwoo I’ve heard so much about? I’m Mark.” He held his hand out, and Jungwoo firmly shook it. “That’s me.” Did Lucas really talk about him that much? Mark motioned to the man sitting next to Jungwoo. “This is my roommate, Donghyuck.” Donghyuck glared at Mark, slapping his hand. He then turned to Jungwoo with a polite smile, “Would it kill you to call me your boyfriend? Please, call me Haechan.” Jungwoo giggled and shook his hand. Lucas ordered them all beers and they got a few appetizers. Although it was awkward at first, they easily fell into conversation about their lives and interests.

Haechan told Jungwoo about his passion for cooking and how he was finishing up culinary school. Lucas butt in to their conversation. “You know Chan, Jungwoo works at a cafe with that Ten guy, maybe he could hook you up.” Jungwoo laughed nervously and Haechan looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Would you do that for me?” Jungwoo nodded and smiled at him, “I can try.” Hearing this, Haechan grabbed his phone off the table, asking him for his number. Suddenly a female voice came from the end of the table. 

“Hi boys, I’m sorry I’m late, I was getting a cake for Mark.” Everyone silenced as the girl set a box on the table, frowning when she saw the other cake already there. “Her eyes snapped up to meet Jungwoo’s anxious stare, quickly looking to Lucas for an explanation. “Um, who’s this?” Jungwoo turned to Haechan, trying to distract his nerves. It was Mina, the girl he had seen on Lucas’ story. Mark spoke up, gaining everyone’s attention. Jungwoo, this is Mina. I invited her because I didn’t want Lucas to third wheel. I didn’t realize he was going to bring you along though…” Mina, who looked very offended, shrugged off her coat and squeezed into the booth next to Lucas. “Nice to meet you, Jungwoo.” She smiled at him before turning to Lucas to start a conversation. 

Haechan and Mark were talking to each other in hushed tones, leaving Jungwoo to sit in his own awkward silence. He took a deep breath, sliding out of his booth and putting his coat on. This got everyone’s attention. Jungwoo faked a smile and bowed. “It was so nice to meet you all. Thank you for having me.” Lucas looked concerned, “It’s still so early, are you sure?” Jungwoo quickly nodded, “I have to go into work early tomorrow anyway.” He gave a small wave, speed walking out of the restaurant. 

“Shit.” He mumbled quietly as he stood against the brick wall. He had forgotten that Lucas gave him a ride. He sighed deeply and called Sicheng, tearing up when he answered. “Yo, what’s up?”   
“Can you please come pick me up?” He pulled his coat closed tighter to preserve his body heat. Lucas walked out of the building, looking around until he saw Jungwoo. Jungwoo panicked, quickly telling Sicheng his location before hanging up. He wiped his eyes as Lucas came to stand in front of him. “Hey.” He said quietly. Jungwoo looked away, rolling his eyes. “Hi.” Lucas raised his arm to rest his hand on Jungwoo’s shoulder. “Are you okay? Did you want me to drive you home?” Jungwoo looked up at him, his large dark eyes boring into his soul. Could he even tell that Jungwoo liked him? Or did he just not care? 

Jungwoo looked away again, his face growing warm, “I didn’t want to be third wheeling,” He scoffed, “No, fifth wheeling.” He laughed uncomfortably. “But I do have someone coming to pick me up, don’t worry.” Lucas nodded. “Good.” They stood in awkward silence and Jungwoo wished Lucas wasn’t standing so close. “Uh, Jungwoo..” Jungwoo looked up at Lucas, definitely not expecting what he was about to do. Lucas stepped closer, leaning down to kiss him. Jungwoo was frozen, he couldn’t move. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He looked up at Lucas who looked equally confused and before he knew it, he had unwillingly started to walk to the car that had just pulled up to the curb.

Without looking at Lucas or Sicheng, he got into the car simply muttering, “Drive.”


	5. a matter of feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i rewrote this chapter and i feel so much better about it :) enjoy~

Lucas felt numb as he walked back into the restaurant. He avoided eye contact with his friends, quietly sitting down and putting on a smile. Mark gave him a concerned look, but he ignored it, talking to Mina about her job. He texted Jungwoo, ‘Text me when you get home’ not really expecting a reply. So he was surprised when he got a message reading ‘I’m home. Be careful on the road, it’s getting icy’. He smiled to himself.

At the end of the night he bid his goodbyes and drove home. He couldn’t stop thinking of the look on Jungwoo’s face after he had kissed him. Was it disgust? Fear? Oh God, maybe he was straight. When he got home he undressed himself, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and flopped down onto his bed. 

He grabbed his phone, scrolling through Jungwoo’s instagram until he found a picture of him posing with another blonde boy. He tapped the tag button, tapping again on the profile that came up. He opened his dms, fingers swaying over the keyboard.

‘Hey is Jungwoo straight? Asking for a friend haha.’ Send.

The typing dots quickly popped up. “Lmao? What friend.” Lucas laughed nervously as he typed, ‘Okay there’s no friend, I’m asking for me. Please don’t tell him.’

Sicheng scoffed, propping an arm behind his neck. ‘He’s gay. And btw you’re sending really mixed signals so you should sort that out’ Lucas frowned. The typing dots appearing before he had even sent a response. 

‘If you like him, make a move. If you don’t, stop calling him baby and kissing him.’

‘Okay’ Lucas sighed, rolling over to sleep.

The next day he was exhausted. He tried to hide it by drinking two cups of espresso and a monster, but that just resulted in his anxiety being on overdrive all day. At lunchtime he met up with Mark who gave him an unimpressed look. “Man, you look really rough.” Lucas frowned. “I only missed one night of sleep, it can’t be that bad?” Mark stifled a laugh, shaking his head. “Tough. What’s up? You always get a solid eight hours every night.” Lucas looked down at his plate. “I kissed Jungwoo last night.” Mark’s eyes widened. “Dude what? I thought you didn’t like him?” Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. “Me too! But I...” He paused and Mark pat his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s okay. Feelings are weird.” Lucas smiled tiredly and nodded. “I’ve never liked anyone before really. I just really don’t want this to be a false alarm. I don’t want to hurt him if I don’t have to.” Mark smiled softly. “I get that. But you don’t want to wait too long. Jungwoo is a really nice guy and I’m sure there’s a lot of people after him already.” Lucas rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Yeah I’m sure they’re just throwing themselves at him.”

Jungwoo yawned as he leaned against the counter. He was stationed up front today and there weren’t really any customers at the moment. “Hey Kun.” He yelled. A few moments later the kitchen door opened and an equally bored looking Kun walked out. “What’s up, Woo?” Jungwoo jumped up to sit on the counter, earning a disapproving look from his boss. 

“Last night I met a guy who’s in culinary school and jobless. Do we need any help around here?” Kun looked outside, shrugging. “I mean, if he’s in culinary school, he might fit in here nice… I’d probably have to talk to Ten about it though.” Jungwoo swung his legs, “Yeah but this is your cafe.” Kun smiled. “Pfft, and Ten co-owns it so it’s our cafe.” Jungwoo hopped down, getting out the ingredients to make a macchiato. “Well, Haechan is really nice so I hope you’ll consider it. I’ll give him your phone number?” Kun nodded and left for the kitchen.


	6. hittin the gym

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ughhh i'm sorry it took me so long to update!!! midterms really kicked my ass  
> also fuck it winwin pun

Jungwoo enjoyed his walk home. Although it was cold, he had a thick coat and a scarf to keep him warm. The sunlight flickered through the trees and adorned his face in warm speckles. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he paused his walk to fish it out of his pocket. 

‘Sicheng  
Heyyy, you going to Yuta’s Christmas party?’  
Jungwoo laughed to himself and started to walk again. He dialed Sicheng’s number.   
“Ew, why are you calling me? There’s a thing called ‘texting’.” Jungwoo scoffed loudly. “You call me all the time, so shut up. Anyways, why’s Yuta having another party? He literally just had one.” A bike whipped past him, making him sway and curse. Sicheng ignored it. “I think he’s gonna ask me out again. And it’s a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit, duh.” Jungwoo laughed mockingly. “A whole party to ask you out? How flattering.” Sicheng whined. “I’m sure of it, he wouldn’t stop asking me to come.”

Jungwoo sighed. “I’m too old and boring to party anymore, count me out.” Sicheng huffed loudly. “I don’t want to go alone and be a sitting target.” Jungwoo rolled his eyes. “You know, Yuta is really nice. Would it really kill you to go out with him at least once?” 

“Yes, it would. Anyways, you have to go because Lucas is going to be there.” Jungwoo’s breath stopped as he rounded the corner. Sicheng continued. “It could be a win-win. You can help keep Yuta away and flirt with Lucas at the same time.” 

“Fine.” Jungwoo groaned. “Send me the info.”

He got home and flopped onto his bed. His phone vibrated loudly and blasted an annoying chime music. He picked it up and it read, ‘gym time with lucas’. He quickly sat up and hopped out of bed to put some gym clothes on. “Damn it, how could I forget..?” He grumbled to himself. He slipped his feet into a pair of sneakers and paused. What was he going to do about the kiss?

As he walked down the road he figured it would be best if he pretended it didn’t happen. If Lucas brought it up… He didn’t plan that far yet.

He pushed the gym doors open, shivering as the air conditioners blew cool air on him. He tentatively walked further into the building, freezing when he heard a familiar shout. “Hey!” Lucas’ tall figure jogged towards him and Jungwoo felt himself grow stiff as his usual confidence left his body. Lucas finally stopped in front of him with a wide but uncertain smile and Jungwoo couldn’t will himself to speak.

The two stood in an uncomfortable silence for a moment until Lucas let out an awkward laugh. “Jungwoo, hi.” Jungwoo smiled meekly and let out a breathy “Hey”. Lucas nodded his head towards the track that circled the building. “How about we take it easy today? We can just walk and talk for a bit.” Jungwoo nodded and walked alongside Lucas to the track.

The silence hung over them again and Lucas nudged Jungwoo’s arm. “Look,” Jungwoo looked up at him, and Lucas felt like his heart was doing cartwheels. He looked away, hoping Jungwoo couldn’t see his cheeks reddening. “Uh, if you’re feeling awkward or uncomfortable because of last night.. You can just tell me, okay? And I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. I don’t want to make things weird between us.”

Jungwoo looked down at his feet smiling softly to himself. “I just wanna know something.” He stopped walking, watching as Lucas paused, turning to look down at him. Jungwoo took a deep breath, looking into his eyes, full of uncertainty and fear. “Did you mean it? Or was it just a friend thing?” Lucas quirked an eyebrow. “Friend thing? What do you- oH” He quickly shook his head. “No no! I don’t kiss my friends like that.” Jungwoo turned and let out a relieved laugh. “Shit, was that not what you wanted to hear? Because-” Jungwoo turned back to Lucas, grabbing his large hand and intertwining their fingers. Lucas’ lips were now pressed into a thin line and his face was on fire.

Jungwoo laughed nervously, “Is this okay?” Lucas nodded and gave a small smile. “It’s great.” They stood in silence for a bit, both unsure of what to say. Lucas spoke up. “I like you, like, a lot so… Would you wanna go out? Like a real date?” Jungwoo’s’ face lit up, and Lucas felt very warm in the cold building. “I’d really like that, Lucas.”


	7. not so good?

For the rest of the night Jungwoo couldn't keep a giddy smile off his face. They finished their walk around the track, quietly conversing about their days, letting their held hands swing between them. 

Lucas offered to drive him home and when he kissed his cheek outside of his apartment building, Jungwoo knew it wasn't a 'friend thing'. He bid Lucas goodbye and hurried inside until he was in his home. He let out a loud squeal and excitedly spun around, moving to drop onto the couch. He grabbed his phone to text Sicheng but set it back down, figuring he could tell him later. 

The next day was very uneventful, Jungwoo went to work, Sicheng came to talk to him during closing, and they went to Sicheng’s place to watch netflix for the rest of the night. Jungwoo waited to hear from Lucas, and Sicheng frowned at his friend as he watched him check his phone for the hundredth time that night. As Jungwoo stood to leave, Sicheng pulled him back down, mumbling that he couldn’t let him walk home so late at night. 

The next day, Jungwoo felt even more distressed as he received zero texts from Lucas. Again. Ten had even scolded him several times throughout the day for being on his phone. Jungwoo spoke to himself out loud, “Not a single text. You would think that if someone asked you out they would at least text you the day after.” Ten placed a hand on Jungwoo’s shoulder sympathetically. “Maybe they’re just nervous. You should give it some time.” Jungwoo frowned and nodded.

Suddenly, the door burst open, although it was three minutes ‘til closing, and Ten cursed under his breath at their audacity to come in now. Jungwoo’s breath caught in his chest, surprised to see Sicheng walk in, his hands full with shopping bags. 

“Hi Ten, Jungwoo.” He nonchalantly placed the bags on the counter, earning a glare from Ten. “I just need to know which one of these says ‘fuck off, Yuta’ best.” He began laying out several outfits, making Jungwoo chuckle and temporarily forget about his boy problems.

Ten waved them off and disappeared into the kitchen after telling Jungwoo to lock the front door, leaving the two younger men to excitedly chatter amongst themselves. Jungwoo took his usual seat on the counter and gave Sicheng a long, hard stare. Sicheng’s mouth quirked up into a curious smile as he folded a shirt. 

“What?” Jungwoo shook his head, turning to look out the front window. “You have such an awesome guy who seems to really like you… And you won’t even give him a chance. I’d die for a guy who’d try as hard as Yuta does with you.”

Sicheng groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. “Yuta is just so clingy and touchy. You know I’m not like that…” He trailed off, then gave Jungwoo a sudden look of confusion. “Wait, didn’t Lucas just ask you out?” Jungwoo slumped down, a large frown overtaking his face. He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes but forced them away by looking up to the ceiling. “Yeah but he hasn’t texted me since then. I feel like maybe he didn’t actually like me and now he regrets asking.”

Sicheng sighed and placed a hand on Jungwoo’s thigh to offer some sort of comfort.   
“I hate to say it, but it is possible. Men are assholes.” Jungwoo laughed quietly and nodded, sliding off the counter. Sicheng straightened up, grabbing a bag off the counter and dumping it’s contents onto the counter. Jungwoo curiously picked through the items, jeans, a dressy shirt, and an eyeshadow palette. He raised an eyebrow and Sicheng smiled smugly at him.

“You’re going to show that dickhead exactly what he’s missing.”


End file.
